How Bong Rips can help you run 420 km

When you think about consuming cannabis, you generally don’t think about running a marathon, let alone 7 in a row.
Cannabis has long been synonymous with myriad negative stereotypes that depict laziness, lack of motivation, couch-locked, etc. The list goes on and on. Seldom do you hear the words “cannabis” and “marathon” in the same sentence; even more peculiar, “cannabis” and “ultra-marathon”.
Multiple studies have found that certain strains of cannabis alleviate pain, enhance focus and elevate overall mood, so it’s not too surprising that as cannabis continues to become less taboo, more athletes are using cannabis for training, as well as recovery.

Meet Avery Collins, professional endurance athlete, ultra runner, ultra cyclist, Iron Man and, you guessed it, cannabis enthusiast. Avery is amongst the growing trend of athletes consuming cannabis to enhance their mental focus during intense training sessions and grueling races. Avery’s lengthy list of impressive feats, which involve podium positions for five 100-mile races and countless 50k race top finishes, includes winning the Colorado Trail 200 Mile Endurance Run.
Avery’s daily training schedule includes trail runs, mountain sprints and other endurance workouts which, at times, last over 9 hours. Try thinking about that the next time you’re sweating through a Zumba class.
While Avery doesn’t attribute cannabis as being the reason he is successful as an endurance athlete, he acknowledges that it “helps take [him] to a very peaceful place in [his] mind.”
When Avery is summiting over various Colorado mountain passes, he reaches into his running pack and pulls out his Roll-uh-Bowl, his favorite smoking device for on-the-go medication. The Roll-uh-Bowl is a foldable, portable bong made in the USA out of medical grade (think baby bottle) silicone. It fits into his pack and he is able to stop, take a rip, and continue on his endurance adventure.
Avery’s lust for endurance sports has propelled him into other ultra sports like Ultra Cycling. In his debut Double Century Race, which spans 208 miles summiting over 3 mountain passes from Boulder to Steamboat Springs, Avery finished 3rd. Not bad for a guy who just “branched out into the ultra cycling world.” When asked what inspired him to try a new sport he explained, “cannabis opens the creative side of my mind, pushing me to new limits and helping me find new adventures.”
“Cannabis helps me live directly in the moment and forget about all other things going on in the world.”
While most of us wont lace up and go for a 200 mile run anytime soon (or ever), we can perhaps draw some inspiration from this ‘Ultra Dude’ and grab a Roll-uh-Bowl and go for a jog.